Softball roundups: Tensas Academy falls short

Published 12:04 am Wednesday, September 12, 2012

LIBERTY — With the MAIS District 6-A championship on the line, Amite School Center’s Catherine Billgren came through in a big way.

With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the eighth inning, Billgren singled through the hole to bring in Ashley Etheridge with the game-winning run as the Lady Rebels defeated the Tensas Academy Lady Chiefs 10-9 Tuesday afternoon to win the district title.

“I’m proud of them. We played hard. They came to play. I was very proud of their effort,” Lady Chiefs head coach Jay James said.

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Tensas Academy had an opportunity to win the game after the game went to the international tiebreaker with the scored tied at 9-9 after six innings of play. However, in both the top of the seventh and the top of the eighth, the runner was thrown out at home plate for the third out of each frame.

Then in the bottom of the eighth and with a runner on second, the No. 1 and No. 2 batters for Amite School Center were not able to advance the runner. Then Tensas Academy intentionally walked Etheridge, who was described by James as their best hitter, before Billgren’s big hit.

The Lady Chiefs rallied from a 3-0 deficit after two innings by scoring nine straight runs over a four-inning stretch to take a 9-3 lead. However, the Lady Rebels rallied for six runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning to keep the game going.

“They tied it with a few errors and some base hits. They hit the ball and created some runs on our miscues,” James said.

Hannah James went 3-for-5 with a double and Bailey Keyes was 2-for-5. Tensas Academy (8-15, 4-2) next plays a doubleheader at Adams County Christian Academy next Tuesday beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Brookhaven Academy 6,

Trinity Episcopal 2

BROOKHAVEN — Brookhaven Academy scored all six of its runs in the bottom of the second inning as the Lady Cougars defeated the Trinity Episcopal Lady Saints Tuesday afternoon in an MAIS District 5-AA game.

Kailey Hutchins pitched well for the most part as she held Brookhaven Academy to just six hits. Unfortunately for Hutchins, Trinity committed four costly errors.

Hannah Fitt went 2-for-3 with a double and Amelia Conn was 2-for-3 for the Lady Saints, who finished with a 4-12 overall record and an 0-6 record in district play.

Franklin County 8, West Lincoln 5

BROOKHAVEN — Lay Lay Griffin went 3-for-3 and Sierra Bethley went 2-for-3 with a double as the Franklin County Lady Bulldogs rallied to defeat the West Lincoln Lady Bears Tuesday afternoon.

In a game that was rescheduled from Aug. 30 because of Hurricane Isaac, Franklin County broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the third inning. Then West Lincoln responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take what ended being its only lead of the game.

That’s because the Lady Bulldogs used a four-run rally of their own in the top of the fifth for a 7-4 lead. The Lady Bears scored one run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 7-5 game, but Franklin County got that run back in the top of the seventh.

Winning pitcher Shelly Case helped her cause by going 2-for-3. Destiny Allen went 2-for-4 with a double for West Lincoln.

Franklin County (5-5) hosts Bogue Chitto on Thursday with the junior varsity game at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity game at 7 p.m.